Anti-Corn Law League

“ While we repeat our deliberate opinion, that the Anti-corn-law League, as a body, is, in respect of actual present influence, infinitely less formidable than the vanity and selfish purposes of its members would lead them to wish the country to believe—we must add, that it is quite another question how long it will continue so. ”

“ Insignificant, however, as may be the materials out of which the Anti-Corn-Law League has been fashioned, it were worse than folly to shut our eyes to the probability that much mischief may, at no distant period, result from its unceasing efforts to injure the agricultural interests of England. The League has always brought into play all the approved modes of poisoning the stream of public sentiment. Lecturers are paid to perambulate the country, and to declaim against the 'atrocities of landed monopoly! What though those men be empty conceited blockheads? ”

“ It is undoubtedly incumbent on the agricultural body to lose no farther time in counteracting the pernicious schemes of the Anti-Corn Law League. The members of that League, many of them unprincipled schemers, whilst of those members who may claim credit for honesty of purpose, there are but few, of whom it may be alleged that they are at best conceited socialists. ”

“ To the Christian Ministers of all denominations, in conference assembled, for the consideration of the laws restricting the food of the people, the address of the Executive Council of the Anti-Corn-Law League, in Manchester. ”

“ Those manufacturing and commercial towns not already possessing in Parliament; such societies are earnestly recommended to form Anti-Corn-Law Associations; and, in case they require information or advice, they are invited to put themselves immediately in correspondence with the Manchester Association, whose fundamental rule, prohibiting the discussion of any party or political topics, is especially recommended for the adoption of all similar bodies elsewhere. ”

“ Various indications had been given during the session of Parliament that ministers were unsafe in their position, and rumours began to arise of a dissolution being at hand and as it could not be believed that they would resort to that step without passing some measure that would secure them popular support, much speculation took place as to what would be the election "cry." It was anticipated that, as the anti-corn-law agitation was daily becoming more active and more formidable, the attempt would be made to obtain the support of the League to the tottering administration. ”

“ To assume that the House of Commons really represented the people was thus an assumption that forty-one out of forty-two of the male adult population were in favour of the Corn Laws With such proof of the mockery of representation—with such feeble result, in that house, of nearly three years of most energetic agitation, was it matter for wonder that many, in the despair of ever overturning selfish legislation while the house was so constituted, should begin to think that representative reform must precede all other reforms? ”

“ Working of Manchester, look to yourselves, you, who look to your benefit and sick-clubs, and your trade societies,—look to those men who would take forcible possession of this room, which was occupied by the Anti-Corn-Law Association,—who had upset meetings called to form Parthenons, and other literary associations,—who would make violent inroad upon anti-slavery meetings—these men will take possession of your meetings unless you check them in the bud. ”

“ To add to its one demand that there should be NO CORN LAW, demands that there should be also annual parliaments, universal suffrage, vote by ballot, equal electoral districts, and payment of members—to merge one point in six, five of them inseparable and to be taken in all, or not taken at all; an especially to take into partnership, as it were, in the movement, a body of men, whose violence had disgusted even the most thorough of the radical party, would have been to abandon all the ground that had been already gained by the League. ”

“ The obvious object of all this was to create a schism in the League, now beginning to exercise a power which might be very dangerous to men in office, to whom "certain dogmas called principles" are not often acceptable. If a portion of that body could be induced to declare for ministers and their "moderate" fixed duty, while another portion called "impracticables" demanded total repeal, the Association would be broken up or rendered powerless. The League, however, adhered to its declared constitution and justified the proceedings of its deputation to Walsall. ”

“ He believed a large number, at least, of the League and its friends and supporters, would say they had tried every means in their power, in the present state of the suffrage, to obtain a redress of their grievances, and they had tried them all in vain; they must now join the ranks of those who were struggling for a radical reform in the representation of the people, convinced at length that the rights of humanity and justice could not otherwise be obtained. ”

“ The free traders anticipated no more than some miserable compromise, unworthy of acceptance. They did not even anticipate any acknowledgment of the existing distress, which, in the previous session, had been either totally denied by the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel, or attributed to temporary causes needing no legislative measure. It was seen, however, that the agitation of the League, and the proofs it had adduced of wide-spread and intense suffering, the result of a selfish, unjust, and cruel legislation, had not been without their effects. ”

“ Once get rid of this immense mass of ignorance and prejudice that binds them to the present law; once get rid of these Corn Laws, the cementing influence which binds them all to one faction, and you will have full scope to bring them to support the interest which you believe to be the true interest of all, and as anxious to co-operate with you to obtain good government and every benefit which just and impartial laws could gain for you. ”

“ As for the notion of standing out till the charter be obtained, is there one man in a hundred who believes it to be possible?
"The whig press is representing the turn-out as the work of the chartists, and the tory press boldly declares that it is directed by the League. Those who so write or talk are incapable of distinguishing cause from effect. The anti-corn-law agitation is the natural consequence of constantly-diminishing profits of trade, and constantly diminishing wages of labour. Poverty has compelled investigation into its cause ”

“ It required, therefore, some firmness of resolution to declare that, in future, no distinction should be made between whig and tory candidates, and that none should be supported on the hustings but those who would pledge themselves to vote for the repeal of the Corn Laws. The men in office cared little for the declaration. They had a happy indifference to what other men might regard as signs of the times. ”

“ Gentlemen, our strong case at this moment is America; we must urge this on all occasions; if you meet with a sceptical, incredulous neighbour, who doubts that we could get instant benefit from the repeal of the Corn Laws, take up the case of America. (Applause.) It is no use, gentlemen, America opening her ports to us at a low duty; we cannot get any more trade from them unless we will take what they have to give. ”

“ In reference to the Corn Laws, he said:—
"They had their origin in the night of ignorant and barbarous ages when men were trampled down by absurd and wicked monopolies and other usages, the outbreaks and badges of that insolent feudal tyranny which oppressed both nations and princes; and thus the human mind was abased to a low pitch of degradation : education and mental culture were extremely rare, knowledge and improvement had only a very slow and limited diffusion, and men in general were accustomed to respect no argument but that of brute force. ”

“ The movement against the Corn Laws is likely to be the most formidable ever made. The apathy for which we have blamed the population of large towns has not existed, for all that has been wanted has been concentration of opinion, and this will be obtained by associations such as the one of which Manchester has set the example. There needs but a spark to ignite the mass of smouldering discontent. ”

“ I will certainly not countenance the repeal of the union, because it will he equally injurious to both countries. ('The Corn Laws.') I really do not know, gentlemen, that there is any reason whatever why I should detain you longer; but I cannot help saying, gentlemen, that I have never, in any place where I have had occasion to address a large concourse of people, I have never seen a concourse of people behave with more temper and propriety, and in a more becoming manner, than I have done at Manchester. ”

“ Many of the whigs in office, before the passing of the Reform Bill, had been opponents of the Corn Laws, and it was believed that they continued to be favourable to free trade, although, during their continuance in office, they never found the fit and proper time practically to exhibit their attachment to its principles. There was a belief that in the struggle to destroy the landowners' monopoly the whigs would lend a friendly hand ”

“ I have for many years been of opinion that the Corn Laws, as they exist, are extremely oppressive to the labouring population, and injurious to every branch of society. Had I been a monopolist,—had I been one of those who had voted for charging an additional price on the food of the poor man—I am quite sure that the testimony laid before you to-day by the reverend gentlemen who have spoken would have been enough to persuade me that I had been in the wrong. ”

“ Further and increasingly strenuous exertions, then, are necessary to set the seal of final success upon the past. The very ground we have gained demands and inspirits to redoubled effort. The pressure beneath which industry sinks is not heaved off; but the force applied has made it move, and perseverance will accomplish all. There must be more lectures, more tracts, more conferences, more agitation. Every county and borough elector in the kingdom must be personally visited, and a condensed library of evidence and reasoning against the Corn Law be placed in his hands. ”

“ It is impossible to estimate the amount of human misery created by the Corn Laws, or the amount of human pleasure overthrown by them. In every part of the world I have found the plague-spot. Some years ago I was sent to agitate—for our government is sometimes engaged in the work of honourable agitation—France in the interest of free trade; and so strong was the excitement that the south of France menaced the north of France with a separation, unless the commercial code was modified. ”

“ I could not help thinking that it was degrading to the merchants, manufacturers, and tradesmen of a town like this, that the poor hand-loom weavers should have to set them this example."
Mr. James Howie, a man always prompt for action, said that what had just fallen from the chairman reminded him that we had here no Anti-Corn-Law Association. He believed that if the devil himself had contrived a system for the destruction of the human race, he could not have framed a code of laws more adapted for the purpose than the insolent aristocracy had done. ”

“ The Manchester Times thus commented on the debate:—
"The question of the Corn Law is, it seems, an open one; and why? Because ministers know very well that, while the preponderance which the reform was intended to give the landed interest continues, there is no chance of the repeal being carried. Mr. Thomson, Sir Henry Parnell, and Lord Dalmeny, may give their votes on this question, because they are sure to be thrown away; but in favour of the ballot they must not vote, lest it should be carried! ”